Expectations of Excellence

GEORGIA'S APPROACH TO BUILDING A CHAMPIONSHIP CULTURE

By Johnathan McGinty
Photos Courtesy of UGA Athletics

 

Building a championship mentality is a process.

Consider the University of Georgia’s dominant run in college football in the past three seasons. It’s overwhelmingly the result of a meticulous pursuit of success driven by discipline, dedication and determination. Games have been won and trophies raised because of a collaborative effort that blends well-prepared, top-tier athletic talent with on-the-field strategies designed to win football games.

Still, it’s hard to not look back to the closing moments of a noon game on the first day of 2021 and realize that something new was being set in motion — something that would play a key role in the program’s quest for greatness.

That’s because in the wake of the Bulldogs’ dramatic come-from-behind victory against Cincinnati in the 2021 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl the mood in Athens was, well, fine.

Fine? Yeah, fine.

Perhaps it was because the previous season had been heavily impacted by COVID, resulting in limited crowds, social distancing, a canceled game against Vanderbilt University and two disappointing losses to a pair of rivals. Sure, the last-second win over the Bearcats helped erase some of that sting, but there was a lingering feeling that more was possible.

With that in mind, Dr. Drew Brannon decided to text Kirby Smart.

“I sent him this text that said, ‘Look, I know where you want to take this thing, and I see some things that I feel confident would make a significant difference, and I’d love to talk to you about it if you would be willing,’” Brannon said. “I sent that message and set my phone down on the coffee table in my den, and as soon as my phone made contact with the coffee table it already buzzed because he had already texted back and said ‘100 percent, I want to meet; can you be here Monday?’” 

It was a bold move for Brannon, a performance psychologist with AMPLOS (a performance training organization based in Greenville, S.C.), who has worked with the program in various capacities dating back to his days as a graduate assistant for Ron Courson, the University of Georgia’s executive associate athletic director and longtime head of sports medicine. It also led to an impromptu meeting with the Bulldogs’ head coach just a few days later that stretched on for hours as the pair explored various approaches to foster connection and drive personal growth across the program, knowing those investments off the field would lead to wins on it.

The results speak for themselves. In the past three years, the Bulldogs have gone 42-2, won an SEC Championship and captured two national titles, the most successful stretch in program history. It’s a testament to the standard of excellence Smart has established in Athens, as well as his openness to evolve and grow as a leader.

The work by AMPLOS is just one part of a multi-faceted approach that Smart has deployed at Georgia to build a championship culture, one that sets high standards for players, coaches and staff and pursues a mindset of constant growth. 

While fans often see the focused, yet passionate coach roaming the sidelines of Sanford Stadium, the people inside the program point to a leader committed to making the people around him better. Whether it’s a willingness to overhaul an offensive philosophy to make the best use of the talent on that side of the ball or a fanatical attention to detail that strives to see that no stone is left unturned when preparing for a game, the focus is on ensuring that his players win on and off the field.

“He's very intense, but he means well,” said Malaki Starks, a junior safety on the team and 2024 pre-season All-America pick. “He's very competitive, and he's just a guy who wants to go out there and win and wants to bring the best out of you. That's one reason why I chose to come to Georgia, just to be around a guy like that.”

UGA Bulldogs 2024 Schedule

SEPTEMBER 7 vs. Tennessee Tech

SEPTEMBER 14 at Kentucky

SEPTEMBER 28 at Alabama

OCTOBER 5 vs. Auburn

OCTOBER 12 vs. Mississippi State

OCTOBER 19 at Texas

NOVEMBER 2 at Florida

NOVEMBER 9 at Ole Miss

NOVEMBER 16 vs. Tennessee

NOVEMBER 23 vs. UMass

NOVEMBER 29 vs. Georgia Tech